Schism
by Layana Danare
Summary: When an alien calling himself a Fairie is discovered in the Delta Quadrant, suspicions and divisions run rampant amongst the crew of Voyager. Sequel to Fairie Virus but can stand alone. HarryOC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Seeking Refuge

Danni Wix pushed the gel pack into place with a little pop! The gel pack glowed up at her darkly, and she sighed. They hadn't had to replace a gel pack in a while, and they had thought that perhaps they could go without worrying for a bit. Then one of the gel packs had promptly burned it's self out. Voyager was steadily becoming harder to maintain.

Danni checked the chronometer on the wall. The numbers of 1200 hours gazed back steadily. She picked up her equipment and closed the compartment she had been working on. Returning the equipment to engineering, she set off for the mess hall where she was to meet her boyfriend of three months, Harry Kim, for a bit of lunch.

Arriving in the mess hall, she could smell the spice-and-oil smell of Neelix's cooking. He was very eager for people to try out his dishes, and was sometimes a little overzealous about it. He often forgot that things like "Alfarian hair pasta" didn't always appeal to the sentients from the Alpha Quadrant. Today, the special seemed to be some sort of fillet and a mess of green vegetables. At least that's what Danni hoped it was. Luckily, Neelix was busily stirring a boiling pot of something and didn't have time to come and explain the menu to her. She quickly scooped up a plate and whisked it away from the counter before Neelix could spare a few moments.

Seating herself at one of the small tables, she watched as the rest of the crew filed in and out of the mess hall, collecting and dropping back off their plates. She did notice that most of the plates were empty, so the fillet and vegetables must have been good.

"Mind if I join you?"

Danni looked up at B'Elanna Torres, who was standing over her, a tray of food in her hands. Danni shrugged with a grin.

"Sure, go ahead," she replied, taking a quick bite of her own food. Delicious.

B'Elanna sat down. She picked at her food for a moment before deciding that it was all right to eat. "Have you seen Harry at all in the past few minutes?" She asked, seemingly casually.

"No," Danni said, trying to answer as clearly as she could while swallowing her own bite of food. "Why, did you need him for something?"

"I thought he was having lunch with you," B'Elanna said, with a slight frown on her face. "He left the bridge twenty minutes ago. Just before I did."

Danni looked up without taking another bite. "Well, we were supposed to be having lunch…" She looked at the chronometer. "I thought he'd be here before this."

"Everything's okay, isn't it?" B'Elanna probed, expecting a telling off at the worst.

"I think so," Danni said, twisting a strand of hair around her finger. "I mean, I had to cancel dinner last night because I had to stay on another shift. We haven't really talked since then. I hope he's not too upset."

"He seemed really eager to get to lunch with you," B'Elanna mentioned, chewing methodically.

"You don't think-" Danni stopped mid-sentence.

B'Elanna immediately guessed what she was thinking. "Danni, these aren't signs that he's loosing interest. It's been steady for three months now. I think he'd tell you if something was wrong."

Danni shrugged and nodded, picking at her food again. "Well, I'm sure he was just delayed and-"

"Ensign Wix, please report to the bridge," Danni's comlink twittered, cutting her off. Danni was up like a shot, bringing her tray with her. She barely got out a "nice to see you, B'Elanna" before dumping her tray and hurrying off to the bridge.

When the turbolift's doors finally slid open, she froze in place. On the screen was a friendly, smiling face. What struck her the most were his ears. Much like a human's, yet pointed at the tips. She reached back under her hair to touch her own ear subconsciously. Pointed, just like his. Her gaze shifted quickly toward Janeway.

"Captain?" She managed to squeak out.

"Danielle Wix, I'd like you to meet Aiden," Janeway said smoothly. "He's a fairie, just like you."

Danni didn't reply. She just stared. Aiden was an earth name. The man was a fairie. How had the fairies gotten this far from home? These questions and more swirled in her head.

"It's good to finally meet you, ma'am," Aiden said slowly, allowing his presence to sink in.

Danni found her voice, although it was still small, quiet and quivery. "A pleasure," she managed to croak. "And your business here?"

Aiden seemed quite taken aback by her blunt question. Danni herself was almost surprised at her rudeness. It was the Captain's job to ask that question, not hers.

"As a matter of fact," Aiden said, drawing in his breath through his teeth. "I've come seeking refuge."

"_Please state the nature of the medical emergency." -- The Doctor_

Danni stared at the short, sandy-haired fairie from across the table in the Capain's ready room. Janeway had had him transported to the ship so that he could further explain his earlier statement.

"You see, Captain, I have had an encounter with the aliens of this sector. The Voshi. One of their ships has been following me for several days now, and only just caught up to me last night. The captain's name was K'Vosh- or more specifically, Kal Vosh, they all have the surname Vosh, it appears. Perhaps you've heard of him?" Aiden paused to await the Captain's reply. Janeway nodded slowly.

"As a matter of fact, we encountered the very same being, just three months ago," she told him cautiously, not revealing whether the meeting had been of a benevolent or hostile nature.

"Well, I hope your encounter with him was a bit more pleasant than mine," Aiden continued. "He asked me to come aboard, and at my refusal, fired on my ship. Thank goodness for our advanced shielding, or I would have never gotten away!" He paused briefly to sigh and touch his smooth forehead. "So you see, that's where the damage to my ship came from."

Janeway clucked her tongue. The fairie's ship _had _sustained massive damage to its shielding systems and outer hull. The comm. system was in danger of failure at any moment. She gave a nod. "So what is it, exactly, that you want from us?"

"Unless I miss my guess," Aiden leaned forward to rest his forearms on the table, "they're still after me. I carry… vital information for my people. We're at war with the Voshi, you see. We entered the war only two earth months ago, but have already suffered heavy casualties. I was on my way to a rendezvous with some of my people when I was fired upon."

Danni wondered briefly how he knew about earth. His name, his speech, they all added up to a human's, or perhaps that of a fairie from the Alpha quadrant. She opened her mouth to ask, but Janeway interrupted before she could let the words out.

"We will provide you with refuge, Mr. Aiden," Janeway said slowly. "And we can take you to the rendezvous with your people."

Danni looked up, startled. The Captain rarely made rash decisions like this. As a general rule, she consulted the senior officers before deciding anything. Chakotay met her eyes from across the table, and she could tell that he was just as startled as she.


	2. Chapter 2

_Sorry it's been so long, guys. I hope you can still remember what this was all about. I have severe writers block, but I'm working to get past it now. =)_

* * *

Chapter Two

Rips

The discussion being over, Janeway stood up. "Danni, please accompany Mr. Aiden to the guest quarters. Mr. Aiden, we will set a tractor beam on your ship and get repair crews on it right away."

"Thank you, Captain," Aiden said gratefully. "But if it's possible, I'd like to be present while repairs are being made. I have a feeling that my ship's design is quite different than yours."

"Or course," Janeway nodded. "Ensign Wix?"

Danni took a deep breath and led the way out of the ready room. Aiden followed her lead as she stepped out onto the bridge toward the turbolift. Harry caught her sleeve before she stepped on.

"I'm sorry I missed lunch," he said breathlessly. "I was coming, but the Captain called me back to the bridge when we picked up Mr. Aiden's signal." He paused. "I could replicate you some dessert?"

"That's sweet, Harry, but I… don't have time right now," Danni told him, fiddling with his sleeve. "Dinner?"

"I'll be there," Harry's face relaxed visibly from relief.

Danni's lips twitched to give him a quick smile and she stepped into the turbo lift to show a patiently waiting Aiden to his quarters. The doors closed behind her and the turbo lift started its descent, humming softly. Aiden shifted restlessly and folded his hands together.

"Is that your beau, then?" The young man asked. "He seems like a fine boy."

"Well, I guess you could call him that," Danni shrugged. "He's plenty fine," she added with a wink. When he didn't respond, she decided to prod him. "How about you, have you got a 'beau'?"

"No, no one at all," Aiden's words tumbled out all in a rush. "This war will be the death of a lot of relationships."

"So you did have someone?" Danni pressed him.

"Well, of course," Aiden said as if it should have been obvious. "I mean, well… if you had known me back on the homeworld-" he ended his sentence with a laugh.

A laugh escaped Danni's own lips before she could stop it. "Were you some kind of ladies-man?"

"No, not really," Aiden replied, his eyes crinkling up around the corners in laugh-lines. "No, I just did whatever it took to keep beaux whenever they came around. I was kind of obsessive about it, really." When he saw the look on Danni's face, he laughed again. "Hold on, there! I didn't do _everything_. But I did lose quite a lot of money to one of my beaux."

"You still use money?"

"'Course we still use money," Aiden nodded. "I mean, not every planet can be as rich is resources as your Fairie world, Dannielle. Ours is a lot rougher, although not quite so hard to get along in due to recent technology."

The turbolift swished open and a long hall, lined with doors stretched away before them. Danni took the lead, showing Aiden right to his quarters. The room was neatly decorated with potted plants and simple furnishings. A bronze Vulcan gong hung on the wall, the mark of a previous tenant. The bed was covered with a standard gray blanket, and on a shiny glass desk a computer console sat silent and still. A replicator adorned the left wall and that was the content of the room. Danni smiled apologetically, "I'm sure you're used to much finer things, but these are the standard guest quarters."

Aiden shook his head vigorously, "No, they're perfect. You forget, our fairie planet is not nearly as rich as yours. These quarters are quite fine." He paused for a moment, and then laid his hand across his abdomen. "Tell me, is there a dining hall? Somewhere I can get something to eat?"

"Yes, of course," Danni replied. "It's on deck two, and it's not easy to miss. Just follow the buzzing of ceaseless conversation, and your nose. You'll be there in no time."

"Actually, I was rather hoping you'd accompany me. I'm not sure how the crew would react to seeing a new fairie aboard. Or are there many fairies in Starfleet? It really is odd not to know what's happening with my own race."

Danni nodded, agreeing with his last statement. "No, there aren't many Fairies in Starfleet, but there are some. There were only two on this ship's crew manifests, a Lieutenant Rill and myself. Unfortunately, he was killed as we were thrown into the delta quadrant."

"Really?" Aiden looked mildly confused, but didn't ask for an explanation. "Well, in that case, the only company I would feel comfortable with for lunch would be you, Miss Wix."

Danni quickly glanced at the chronometer on the wall behind Aiden's head. Her next shift didn't start for another hour. "Well, " she started reluctantly, "I suppose I could. I've already had lunch, however."

"I could replicate you some dessert," Aiden offered teasingly, copying Harry's line.

"Thank you," Danni replied seriously, "but no."

Aiden's face fell, but he tried not to let his feelings show. Instead, he simply extended his hand, gesturing that Danni should walk out before him.

As the two entered the mess hall, they were met with warmth from the kitchen, the clinking of utensils against plates, and the stares of the crewmembers. Danni blushed self-consciously when they all turned to get a glimpse of the newcomer. She bit her lips when she noticed Harry at the opposite side of the mess hall, beginning his lunch. He caught her eye, and she noted the surprise in his face. She tried to give him a half-smile, but he had already turned away. Danni closed her eyes briefly, then snapped them open. Fortunately, Aiden had not noticed. He was already walking toward Neelix's kitchen, and had his eye on a generously loaded plate.

"This looks delicious! What is it?" He asked, picking up the dish and sighing as he smelled the aromas. "Smells good, too."

"Actually, I'm not quite sure what that is," Danni laughed. "But I don't suggest you ask Neelix."

"The cook, is he? Why not?" Aiden looked surprised.

Danni leaned in closer to whisper to him, "you might not like what he tells you." She gave him a meaningful look as if to say, _believe me, I know what I'm talking about. _Aiden shrugged and took the plate of food away to a table in the corner. Danni tried to follow, but had to stop when she passed Harry, for he had grabbed her hand.

"I thought you were too busy for lunch," he said reproachfully. Danni sighed.

"Harry, I'm sorry. I thought he might want a tour of the ship before I started on my next shift. I didn't know he'd want lunch." She tried to pull her hand out of Harry's but he held on.

"Why can't you stay with me, now?"

"Harry Kim, that would be rude," Danni scolded softly. She crouched by Harry's chair. "Don't be jealous, baby. This is for diplomacy's sake."

Harry tried to relax. He knew what went on in a starship. If a guest asked to have lunch with an officer, it was impolite to refuse. As a matter of fact, it was more than impolite- it was dangerous. One could never tell how an alien would take a refusal of a dinner invitation.

Harry reluctantly relinquished Danni's hand to her, and watched her walk to a table off to the side, near the stars. He reached for his fork quickly, to avoid letting his emotions bubble over. He stabbed at his food, shoveling it into his mouth as quickly as possible. His lunch companions barely noticed, being involved in some sort of hilarious account told by Ensign Riggs. He did catch one of the young lady's eyes, but broke contact before she could ask him if anything was wrong. Shoving his chair back, he swept his tray off of the table and briskly dumped it, exiting the room as quickly as possible.

Danni tried to focus on Aiden's chatter, offering commentary on subjects that interested her, but she couldn't help but notice Harry's hasty exit. She felt terrible at not being able to sit with him, not being able to talk things out. She knew full well how Harry would act later on. He wouldn't confront her, being adaptable to all sorts of situations including trouble in relationships, but there would be an obvious rift between them. Neither of them were particularly confrontational unless the situation called for extreme measures, so she wondered when- or if- the problem would be ironed out.

"As I was saying-" Aiden began, but abruptly stopped. He looked down at his lap, noticing a red, flashing light in his pocket. He quickly clapped his hand over it, hoping that Danni hadn't noticed. When he looked back up, she was gazing at him quizzically. He quickly flashed her a grin.

"If you will excuse me, Miss Wix. I believe I've had enough of your cook's cuisine. I think I will return to my quarters for a short break, and then visit your shuttle bay to see how my ship is faring."

Danni was surprised at the abrupt way he ended the conversation, but she had no objection. She rose with the young man and they parted, using separate doors to exit Ten Forward. Just outside, she bumped into the person she wanted to see most, but was least expecting to meet.


	3. Chapter 3

_This is a FLASHBACK chapter that will help in exploring some of Danni's relationships. There will be others in the course of the story, but they will likely not be "necessary" to the plot, so you may skip them if you wish.  
_

* * *

Chapter Three

Conflict

"_Ensign, fire photon torpedoes!"_

_Danni looked down at her station quickly, tearing her eyes away from the Romulan battle cruisers on the view screen._

_"Fire right now or we're dead!"_

_Danni fired photon torpedoes directly into the hull of the battle cruisers, letting out a burst of air as the ship exploded in a spray of sparks and electricity. The bridge crew's faces lit up with the soft glow from the screen._

_Lieutenant Commander Chakotay stepped out from a small corner in the bridge simulation. "End program," he said in his rich, low voice._

_The bridge reverted to a simpler design of black with yellow checks etched across it. The bridge crew, who were really Starfleet Cadets, lined up in front of the dark-haired Lieutenant, ready for his critique. As he went down the line, pulling each Cadet aside to give them a few pointers and congratulate them on what they did well, Danni Wix found herself crushed in between two of the larger cadets. Rich, the young man on the right was as haughty as he was brawny. Rich was extremely proud that he had been chosen to play Captain in the bridge simulations twice in three days, and he had no qualms about showing it. Oshi, the one to the left was quiet and somber, but nice enough. Although he was popular with the ladies, he seemed to prefer studying and sleeping to pursuing a romantic attachment._

_Oshi said nothing to Danni, but Rich felt it was his duty to inform her of any criticism Chakotay might offer, before Danni was even pulled out of the line._

_"You were pretty slow on those torpedoes, Wix. Getting rusty on the tactical position?" he asked in a low voice so as not to alert anyone else to the conversation. "But I guess that's just your Fairie side, isn't it?" He eyed her. "A little lazy."_

_Danni flushed dark red and she noticed Oshi trying not to stare at her through the corner of his eye. Rich had been a little louder than he had intended. Or maybe Oshi just had fabulous hearing._

_Danni frowned, wishing her blazing skin would cool. "We'll see how good you are at tactical next time you're assigned to it."_

_"If you're so good at bridge simulations, then why have you never taken the captain's chair?"_

_Danni turned from the formal shoulder-to-shoulder position that the Cadets had assumed and stepped out of line with her left foot, so that her body was turned toward Rich._

_"Look, if you don't like me, Rich, that's fine. I don't like you either. But I'd prefer if you didn't spew racism and prejudice at me when I'm minding my own business."_

_"Or what? You think anyone's going to listen to a five-foot Fairie Cadet?" Rich leaned down into Danni's face, speaking in a condescending tone._

_Danni's hands balled into fists. "Listen, you bigoted slime-"_

_"Cadets, what seems to be the problem here?"_

_Danni felt fingers curl around her elbow and swing her around. She looked up, meeting the steely eyes of Lieutenant Commander Chakotay. She heard Rich click his heels together behind her as he stiffened back into his proper position.__ Chakotay looked back and forth the two Cadets._

_"Well?"_

_The room was silent except for a subdued sneeze. Chakotay's eyes darkened. He started toward the exit of the holodeck, dragging Danni along with him. Just before he reached to door, he turned around._

_"Class dismissed. Except for you, Cadet Rich. Please join us in my office."_

_Amazingly, Rich didn't look the least bit ashamed as he sauntered out the door behind Chakotay._

_Danni hung her head as Chakotay pulled her through the hallways of Starfleet Academy. Passing Cadets stared, and instructors grimaced. Danni wished they wouldn't. It was bad enough that she was getting a reprimand, but Chakotay wasn't even her usual instructor. He was substituting for Lieutenant Commander Gillis, who knew how Rich could be. Chakotay had never taught Rich before that day, nor had he taught Danni for that matter. Chakotay's primary class was Advanced Tactical, and Danni's major did not require that class._

_When they neared Chakotay's office, he stopped only long enough to unlock the door, then motioned both Danni and Rich inside. "Please enter, Cadets."_

_Rich's arm smacked into Danni's shoulder as he entered, and she tried to suppress her glare. Chakotay passed by both of them and sat down at the chair behind his desk._

_"Don't try to keep anything from me, and don't try to argue, Cadets," he said, studying their faces. "I heard everything, as I'm sure the rest of your class did." He turned to Rich. "Explain yourself, Cadet."_

_"Sir, I have observed that Danielle Wix has been slow to respond in bridge simulations. Particularly at these stations-"_

_"That's enough. I have her class record right here." Chakotay opened a drawer and pulled out two files, Danni's and Rich's. He looked over them briefly, then back up at the two Cadets. "Her class record is excellent."_

_Danni cast a triumphant look at Rich._

_"And so is yours, as a matter of fact, Mr. Rich."_

_Rich smiled smugly._

_"But I'm sure if Lieutenant Gillis were here, she'd want this matter resolved as quickly as possible." Chakotay set the files down. "I will write a note for Lieutenant Gillis and inform her of what went on today. If this incident is repeated, she may have to put it on your file." Chakotay looked the Cadets in the eye. "Understand?"_

_"Yes sir," they said simultaneously._

_"Very well," Chakotay said. "You are dismissed, Cadet Rich."_

_"Sir." Rich clicked his heels together and smirked at Danni as he exited the room. Danni felt her heart pumping faster as her mind raced, trying to think what the instructor would say next._

_Once the door closed behind Rich, Chakotay picked up a blank datapad. "Now that he's gone, Cadet, I'd like to tell you that I will be mentioning that I believe it was he who started all this?" Chakotay raised an eyebrow and looked her in the eye._

_Danni tried not to sigh with relief. "Yes sir."_

_Chakotay stood up and walked around his desk. "I'd also like you to know that I am not indifferent to the racism against Fairie's in this Academy. It's not an excuse for you to engage in a verbal- or physical- battle," Chakotay told her sternly, "but I want to tell you that if anything like this ever happens again-" he relaxed his face into a smile "-I'd be happy to help you."_

_Danni could barely contain her relief and excitement. "Thank you, sir."_

_"One more thing," the instructor said. "You're welcome to call me Chakotay."_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Concern

Danni felt a hand grab her arm and swing her around as she wove through the throng, trying to get out of ten forward. She smiled, ready to greet Harry and try to make things right.

But it wasn't Harry she saw, standing there. Instead, Commmander Chakotay was looking down at her with his lips turned upward slightly. Danni relaxed slightly, realizing that she had been tense. Chakotay made many people nervous, that was just part of the package that came with being second in command of a starship, but Danni was usually at ease with him.

"Heading in for a bite of lunch, are you?" She asked, pulling her arm free.

"No, actually I was just coming to find you," Chakotay answered. And with that, his smile rapidly dissipated. "I've been hearing some of the crew talk about this Aiden we brought aboard. Some of the Starfleet crew are upset, they think we're crossing the Prime Directive. Some of them side with most of the crew from the Marquis, they're willing to do anything to get back at K'Vosh for what he did." Here Chakotay paused and cast a inquiring glance at Danni.

"I don't know whom I'd agree with right now," Danni slowly answered his questioning glance as they began to stroll down the corridor. "I mean, he's only been aboard half an hour."

Chakotay stayed silent for a moment, studying her facial expression. "In other words, you think we have a right to get back at K'Vosh, don't you?"

"You know me too well," Danni replied without looking up. As much as she hated to admit it, she didn't feel like the Starfleet officer who's uniform she was wearing. "It's just that… he used me. Don't we have a right to avenge ourselves when we're wronged?"

"Maybe," Chakotay conceded with a slight bow of his head. "But as Starfleet officers, we have to do what's good for the rest of the quadrant, right?"

"I thought you were supposed to be the Marquis and I was supposed to be the rule-quoting Starfleet officer," Danni said, looking up with a slightly amused look on her face.

"Maybe I'm just trying to remind you of your role."

"Maybe you should remind the Captain of hers," Danni blurted without thinking. She saw a flash behind Chakotay's eyes she clapped a hand over her mouth.

"I can't believe I just said that."

"That could be considered insubordination, you know," Chakotay reminded her gravely. "Keep that up and I could have you put in the brig." Then he sighed. "Unfortunately, I agree with you- so I'd have to lock myself away, too."

"I'd be glad for your company commander," Danni teased, now that she knew Chakotay had been only kidding. But Chakotay was in no mood for games anymore.

"I was going to go talk to her when I saw you," he said. "I'm just not sure what to say without her thinking I don't trust her decisions."

"She knows you trust her."

"I don't know about that," Chakotay responded. "It's been hard to gain trust here, and I've done it, but one little slip can make it all disappear."

"Chakotay," Danni gently turned the Commander toward her. "It wasn't that easy to lose my trust, and it won't be that easy to lose Captain Janeway's."

Chakotay nodded and for a brief moment, they remembered the day when Chakotay had left Starfleet to join the Maquis, and both tried to forget it.

"Go talk to her," Danni said, turning to walk on. "And don't forget to tell me what she says." She cast him a wink and continued down the corridor.

"_We're Starfleet officers, weird is part of the job." – Captain Janeway_

"I understand your concern, Commander," Kathryn Janeway wrapped her hands around a cup of black coffee and looked up at her first officer. Chakotay's hands rested on her desk as he leaned over to ask her the question the whole ship was wondering about.

Kathryn sighed. "I understand that all of the crew, including the senior staff-" she looked pointedly at Chakotay "-must be very concerned. But as Captain, I have the right to make decisions regarding this ship, her crew, and also any outsider we happen to contact."

"I'm not disputing that right, Captain," Chakotay said. "But I'd like to know your reasons for making such a decision without consulting your senior staff."

"I don't have to tell you."

"That's just an excuse, something that you're throwing out there, hoping you can stop me. Well, it won't work." Chakotay came around to Kathryn's side of the desk. "Is it a personal vendetta, Captain, or are you doing this in the best interests of the crew?"

"The Voshi tried to kill us, Chakotay," Captain Janeway snapped. "Now if you don't agree with my decision, so be it. Just follow my orders."

"I've always done that," Chakotay replied. "If you don't want to tell me, fine. I'll find out sooner or later." He straightened up. "Am I dismissed, Captain?"

Captain Janeway rose from her chair and looked her first officer straight in the eye. "You are dismissed, Commander."

Chakotay wheeled around on the heel of his shoe and stalked out the door.


End file.
